Hi-Fi Shops in Ireland

[Adrian]

You don't remember his name do you? He could be dead now as he smoked like a train, very knowledgeable he was too.

[Ivor]

You don't remember his name do you? He could be dead now as he smoked like a train, very knowledgeable he was too.

I don't.

[Terry]

You don't remember his name do you? He could be dead now as he smoked like a train, very knowledgeable he was too.

If it was Laskeys it would have been Paddy Kelehan. Frank Murray and Tony Boushel worked there too and went on to establish AudioTek.

I spent the Saturdays from my student days working in Laskeys on South Anne Street... NAD, AR, Dual, Grado, Glanz, Sennheiser and the like. Paddy also had another lower profile, higher end outlet on Swanville Place... around the corner from Slatterys in Rathmines. Crimson, Sugden, Systemdek, Exposure, Dahlquist, Syrinx etc. I loved working there and got to grips with some great trade-ins. Managed to cobble together a classic Linn, Grace, Supex SD900 combo, a Naim 12s pre with Naim 120 power - Google them - the truth is not always beautiful! Speakers were Kef Concord IIIs. Not a bad 'student system'.

+1 on all the positivity re Noel Cloney. Most of my dealings there have been limited to 'previously loved' bits and pieces. The only new kit I managed to stretch to was a relatively affordable Nytech CA252 and CXA252 with ARC 050 speakers - a curious but highly effective active system. Both these marques disappeared but seem to be making something of a revival. The following is from theabsolutesound.com and relates to the Bristol Show 2014.

"Alongside start-ups, there were a couple of re-starts. Those with very long memories might remember the ARC range of loudspeakers. Nothing to do with Audio Research, ARC was a small UK brand that flourished in the 1980s with a midrange-dominant loudspeaker range, often seen used with fellow middle Englander Nytech. Both companies faded from view over the years, but now both are being reborn, the electronics based in Wales, the loudspeakers from Germany. They are in the last stages of development, so prices and final voicing are still to be finalised, but expect to pay upwards of £10,000 for a full Nytech/ARC system. The sound is as ‘classic 1980s’ as the brands!

Sorry lads, I seem to have strayed a bit off piste! Apologies for my ramblings.

T

[cybot]

You don't remember his name do you? He could be dead now as he smoked like a train, very knowledgeable he was too.

If it was Laskeys it would have been Paddy Kelehan. Frank Murray and Tony Boushel worked there too and went on to establish AudioTek.

I spent the Saturdays from my student days working in Laskeys on South Anne Street... NAD, AR, Dual, Grado, Glanz, Sennheiser and the like. Paddy also had another lower profile, higher end outlet on Swanville Place... around the corner from Slatterys in Rathmines. Crimson, Sugden, Systemdek, Exposure, Dahlquist, Syrinx etc. I loved working there and got to grips with some great trade-ins. Managed to cobble together a classic Linn, Grace, Supex SD900 combo, a Naim 12s pre with Naim 120 power - Google them - the truth is not always beautiful! Speakers were Kef Concord IIIs. Not a bad 'student system'.

+1 on all the positivity re Noel Cloney. Most of my dealings there have been limited to 'previously loved' bits and pieces. The only new kit I managed to stretch to was a relatively affordable Nytech CA252 and CXA252 with ARC 050 speakers - a curious but highly effective active system. Both these marques disappeared but seem to be making something of a revival. The following is from theabsolutesound.com and relates to the Bristol Show 2014.

"Alongside start-ups, there were a couple of re-starts. Those with very long memories might remember the ARC range of loudspeakers. Nothing to do with Audio Research, ARC was a small UK brand that flourished in the 1980s with a midrange-dominant loudspeaker range, often seen used with fellow middle Englander Nytech. Both companies faded from view over the years, but now both are being reborn, the electronics based in Wales, the loudspeakers from Germany. They are in the last stages of development, so prices and final voicing are still to be finalised, but expect to pay upwards of £10,000 for a full Nytech/ARC system. The sound is as ‘classic 1980s’ as the brands!

Sorry lads, I seem to have strayed a bit off piste! Apologies for my ramblings.

T

You certainly know how to make us feel old(ish)! I clearly remember a customer leaving Cloney's with an Arc/Nytech active system and I felt so inadequate! Noel, sensing this, remarked that just because it was an expensive setup didn't mean it was necessarily better. I have never forgotten that! The closest I got to that system was a Nytech CTA252 Tuner amp with the faders :) Now that was a long time ago!

[DaveF]

Anyone remember Lyric HiFi on Stephen's Street Lower, not far off the top of Grafton street. Most of that Monitor Audio/Myryad Home Cinema system I had came from them. They dealt with Arcam, B&W and Meridian mostly from what I can remember. Nice lads to deal with but the place is long gone now. Under the same management as Richersounds on the quays at the time.